Derix, Clare

Clare specialises in corporate governance and financing arrangements with extensive experience in advising on loan arrangements, procurements, equity injections, grants, market-testing approaches, conflicts of interest and contract management issues. She regularly assists clients with the design and implementation of government initiatives and works closely with clients to ensure strategies and documentation are in line with applicable legislation, Commonwealth policy and the business objectives of the agency involved.

She has monitored the evaluation activities from a probity perspective for numerous procurements and regularly drafts and negotiates contracts. She advises on all aspects of government grant and procurement policy, including the Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines, the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs) and the conduct of risk assessments.

Clare has advised a wide range of Commonwealth projects – many of which have been high-profile and multi-faceted, requiring strategic advice on the agency’s implementation options, confidentiality and compliance issues. She was the lead adviser for the establishment of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) and was appointed by the NHFIC Board (on a secondment basis) as its interim General Counsel and Board Secretary for the first 6 months of the entity’s operations. Clare was the lead adviser for the procurement, governance and probity arrangements for the first year of the Department of Infrastructure's Western Sydney Airport project and has since led teams for Foreign Affairs’ security enhancement program procurements and the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility. 

Relevant experience

Clare's relevant work includes:

• advising Treasury on the establishment of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation
• advising the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation on the implementation of the Affordable Housing bond aggregator, the National Housing Infrastructure Facility and the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme
• assisting Home Affairs with advice on its offshore detention centre contracts
• advising Agriculture on the establishment of the Regional Investment Corporation advising Agriculture on the implementation of the Farm Finance Concessional Loans Scheme, the Drought Concessional Loans Scheme, the Dairy Recovery concessional loans scheme and the National Water Infrastructure loans scheme
• as lead probity adviser, advising on the arrangements for the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Perth trial site
• provided probity advice to Social Services on the establishment of their $60 million Research Evaluation and Data Panel.

Qualifications

Diploma of Project Management, Proteus Education and Training, 2009

Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Australian National University, 2001

Bachelor of Laws, Australian National University, 2001

Bachelor of Commerce, Australian National University, 2000

Recognition

AGD Australia Day Award as part of a group in recognition of work performed as probity and legal adviser to the Western Sydney Airport Project, 2017

AGS Australia Day Award in recognition of work performed as legal adviser for the Farm Finance and Drought Concessional Loans Schemes, 2015

AGS Australia Day Award as part of a group in recognition of work performed as probity adviser for Medibank Private privatisation, 2015

Defence Commendation in recognition of work performed as probity adviser to the AIR 9000 Offer Development and Refinement Team, 2005